NEW BRITAIN – After more than three years in business, Café Beauregard has closed.

With no prior announcement, owner and chef Rob Chiovoloni posted a letter on the door of the restaurant to tell customers of the decision.

“There is no way to close down an operation like this without keeping the information close to your vest while you work through the logistics of it, or at least begin to get a grasp on what you plan to do,” part of the letter read. “I recognize that this denies many patrons who will miss us the opportunity to say farewell. For this I am truly sorry and can only hope that you will understand the reasons and, most importantly, remember us kindly.”

Chiovolani and his wife and co-owner, Alice Bruno, opened Café Beauregard at 2 Main St. in December 2013. Chiovolani previously worked as head chef at the Copper Beech Inn in Ivoryton and the Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The café bears Chiovolani’s mother’s maiden name.

Chiovolani’s letter spoke about the people who have come and gone since they opened, including President Barack Obama in 2014. Chiovolani didn’t write of financial troubles. Instead, he wrote that it was time for he and his wife to move on.

“The time has come for me to do something besides being a chef. As much as I loved the Café, it was never something I saw as a lifelong endeavor: I had already had a long and successful career, I wasn’t trying to start another,” Chiovolani wrote. “Now I plan to pursue a few other interests, among them writing, travel, and whatever opportunities life puts in my way.”

When it opened, Café Beauregard became the third restaurant to occupy 2 Main St. in nearly 15 years.

Skyler Frazer can be reached at 860-801-5087 or by email at sfrazer@centralctcommunications.com.